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While you can spot manatees year-round in South Florida, they come out in full force during the winter months as they navigate to warmer waters.

They’re our snowbirds of the sea, if you will.

When the Lake Worth Lagoon drops to 68 degrees or below, these gentle giants migrate to a familiar spot in Palm Beach County — you’ll find them congregating in the outflow of Florida Power & Light Co.’s Riviera Beach Next Generation Clean Energy Center. The season lasts from mid-November through March.

In anticipation of this return, Manatee Lagoon – An FPL Eco-Discovery Center, which is adjacent to the power plant, is giving them a warm welcome with a free Manatee Season Kickoff  from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

“We are shining the spotlight on their migration while inviting visitors to learn more about manatees through fun, hands-on activities and exhibits,” said Manatee Lagoon manager Meredith Rollo.

Featuring this year’s theme, “Migration Celebration,” the event will include a mini-lecture series, face painting, food trucks, outdoor games, Manatee Tales Story Time, and Mia the Manatee appearances.

A mission for the manatees

Manatee Lagoon opened in February 2016 — about two years after the natural-gas power plant replaced an older one that was demolished in 2011 — but sea cows have been flocking to the warm waters around it for decades.

The two-story, 16,000-square-foot facility was built as part of FPL’s environmental mission to “deepen public understanding of the connection between people, manatees and the natural world, and to encourage everyone to help protect Florida’s wildlife for generations to come,” Rollo said.

The center draws about 200,000 visitors annually, she said, with its featured exhibits, which include a seagrass nursery, Lake Worth Lagoon photos, artificial reef facts and a film about our connection to the manatees. Throughout the year, the facility also offers tours, lectures, adult yoga, story time and special events.

“Whether guests come for special events like the annual Manatee Season Kickoff or ManateeFest, register for a school field trip or summer camp, participate in our educational programs, or simply enjoy the scenic views and daily activities, every visit helps foster awareness and appreciation for manatees and environmental conservation,” Rollo said.

Viewing tips

Head outside to the facility’s viewing area where you may see some of the marine mammals huddling together during cooler weather.

“While sightings can’t be guaranteed, visitors often see manatees gathering near our observation deck as water temperatures begin to drop,” Rollo said. “For the best viewing, plan your visit after two or three days of cooler weather. Those conditions tend to draw the most manatees to the area and make for excellent viewing from our observation deck.”

Averaging about 10 feet long and 1,000 pounds, with their two front flippers, algae-covered backs and paddle-shaped tails, manatees are hard to miss when they show up.

Can’t make it in person? Try the center’s live Manatee Cam to catch a virtual glimpse of the manatees and other marine life that call the Lake Worth Lagoon home, including tarpon, moon jellyfish, green sea turtles, spotted eagle rays, and nurse and bull sharks.

Some of the manatees that hang around Manatee Lagoon can be identified by the scars on their gray, bristle-haired, leathery-looking skin as a result of boat strikes, entanglement in fishing gear or fungal infections.

Fish, for example, named for the shape of one of her scars, is about 38 years old and returns every December. Chessie, Chew Choo, Natalie, Footprint II, Illusion, Sunshine and Sweetheart are among the other regulars.

What’s the state of the manatees in Florida going into the season?

They are showing signs of recovery, and there’s reason for optimism, Rollo said.

“In 2024, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recorded 565 manatee deaths, similar to the 555 deaths the previous year, down significantly from the more than 1,100 deaths in 2021, when starvation was a major factor,” she said.

The Florida manatee is listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. It’s illegal to feed, harass or harm them, and the state has regulatory speed zones for boats in areas where manatees live or travel.

“Generally, the manatee population is stable but faces threats from habitat loss, cold stress and boat strikes,” Rollo said. “Conservation efforts and community awareness remain vital to ensuring their protection.”

Celebrating 10 years

Manatee Lagoon plans to mark its 10th anniversary with ManateeFest 2026 on Feb. 7, but it’s also unveiling new offerings to celebrate the milestone year.

“Manatee Lagoon continues to grow, not just in the number of visitors we welcome but in the ways we connect with our community,” Rollo said. “Families and educators can take advantage of our brand-new Homeschool Mondays, designed to provide engaging, hands-on learning experiences tailored for homeschoolers.

“Guests can also now book private tours for a more personalized exploration of the center and its manatee visitors.”

Interactive screens are being updated across the center with refreshed content to provide easier access to information, she said.

Since it opened, the center’s programming has expanded to include Manatee Tales Story Time, Lectures at the Lagoon, Sensory Saturdays and free sensory kits.

“Beyond its educational mission, Manatee Lagoon has become a stunning gathering space for community and private events with new offerings for intimate celebrations,” Rollo said. “Each celebration supports our mission dedicated to educating the public about manatees and the Lake Worth Lagoon, and inspiring communities to preserve and protect Florida’s environment and wildlife for future generations.”

What’s the most important lesson taught at the center?

“Visitors to Manatee Lagoon learn that manatees are more than just gentle giants, they’re indicators of a healthy Lake Worth  Lagoon ecosystem,” Rollo said. “They leave understanding that protecting these animals means protecting the entire ecosystem, and that each of us has a role in keeping Florida’s environment thriving.”

Manatee Lagoon, 6000 N. Flagler Drive, West Palm Beach, is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through March, and closed on Mondays from April 1 through Nov. 14 and select holidays. Admission is free. 

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Manatee Season Kickoff

WHEN: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: Manatee Lagoon, 6000 N. Flagler Drive, West Palm Beach

COST: Free

INFORMATION: visitmanateelagoon.com

Search the internet for “male loneliness” and you’ll find articles both parsing this so-called epidemic and others challenging its existence. Regardless of gender, I suspect most people are lonely right now, at least to a degree. But on television, what you’ll find are stories exploring female loneliness in particular, even if these series aren’t explicitly marketing themselves that way. Hollywood, it seems, is picking up on something that professional opinion-havers are not.

The HBO comedy “I Love LA” (which premiered last week) tackles a familiar story of humorously chaotic 20-something strivers, with their dreams of social media fame and influencer income. They are filled with youthful exuberance, but they are also miserable and desperate to hide that fact — maybe even from themselves. Created by and starring Rachel Sennott, the show brings to mind the old axiom: Surrounded by people but lonelier than ever.

Like “Girls,” its New York-set predecessor, the friendships in “I Love LA” come with air quotes. No one genuinely likes each other, and while a good story allows its characters to be flawed, this is more than that: Their connections with one another are hollow. Maybe that’s because older generations have handed them a world that demands an endless hustle to keep their heads above water, where seeking out meaningful relationships is for suckers.

I’ve seen the series described as a hangout show, but I’ve never walked away from a hangout show feeling so … well, lonely. And sad about our collective trajectory.

On Apple, “Pluribus” is vastly different in tone and style from “I Love LA,” but it too is a story of profound loneliness. It’s the latest series from “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul” creator Vince Gilligan, about a successful, if unfulfilled, middle-aged romance author named Carol (Rhea Seehorn) who finds her life suddenly upended. Everyone in her hometown of Albuquerque has seemingly undergone a personality transplant, wherein the population has become an undifferentiated plurality of exceedingly nice, somewhat robotic, creatures.

Turns out, it’s not just Albuquerque, but the entire world that’s been affected. What the hell happened? While billions of people have changed, Carol and her prickly personality remain immune to whatever mysterious force is responsible for this shift.

The show defies categorization — plucking ideas from “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” “The Stepford Wives” and “The Leftovers” — but it is ultimately about a woman boiling over with rage and frustration, lurching through her new reality in a state of livid isolation. There is no one who understands her. No one she can trust. No one to laugh with or complain to. No one who shares her fears, or her disgust with these people who no longer seem fully human thanks to their perma-smiles and good cheer. Even for a misanthrope like Carol, this is hell on Earth.

There’s even loneliness coursing through the fizzy romantic comedy of Netflix’s “Nobody Wants This.” Justine Lupe plays Morgan, a woman who uses sarcasm to deflect her insecurities as she watches her sister find a real connection with another person. Despite Morgan’s faux-blasé affect, the cracks are evident. When her sibling answers a call about a business deal concerning them both, the man on the phone asks, “Should we grab your sister, or does that not matter?” Morgan frantically jumps in: “Hi, I matter! Hi!” It’s a funny line, but there’s so much sting and subtext in it as well. In Season 2, which premiered last month, Morgan’s desperation and loneliness are so intense that they drive her into an ethically dubious relationship with her therapist.

Perhaps it’s par for the course that the tagline for the new season of Netflix’s reality show spinoff of “Squid Game”  asks “Why make friends when you can make millions?” We all need money and companionship for survival, but the depressing subtext of so many competition-based reality shows suggests you can’t have one without sacrificing the other.

It’s surely only a matter of time before we see a TV series about people trying to combat their loneliness with artificial intelligence. The 2013 Spike Jonze movie “Her” got there first, starring Joaquin Phoenix as a man who falls in love with his Alexa-like virtual assistant, voiced by Scarlett Johansson. But the film presumes a consciousness that does not exist in the kind of chatbots that people in the real world interact with — and, in some cases, delude themselves into believing are real relationships. For all the emptiness of the friendships depicted in “I Love LA,” at least they are human. What does it say about us as a species that people are seeking out simulated social connections with a computer?

Maybe the best way to combat loneliness is also the most straightforward: Start doing things with other people. For the last several weeks, for example, the distressing reality of immigration raids across Chicago has also meant that neighbors are getting together and organizing in ways they hadn’t previously.

In the documentary “Join or Die” (on Netflix), the social scientist Robert Putnam explores the benefits of simply joining a club, an idea he writes about in his non-fiction book “Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community.”

Putnam argues that the bonds that form when you join a club or organization are not just a matter of “warm, cuddly feelings,” as he puts it. “In area after area of our community life, our communities don’t work as well when we’re not connected.” And that, he says, has far-reaching effects not only on us as individuals, but on democracy itself.

Unfortunately, our current moment bears that out.

CBS Miami is losing another icon, the Miami Herald reports.

Roughly two weeks after entertainment reporter Lisa Petrillo announced she was leaving the station, her colleague Eliott Rodriguez is signing off, too.

The anchorman, 69, has been with CBS Miami for 25 years, and a journalist for close to five decades. He recently shared an Instagram post posing with the “Taste of the Town” host calling her a “tireless beauty with a smile that lights up a room.”

Read the full story on MiamiHerald.com.

Singer-songwriter Ari Rabin — stage name Alnev — finds inspiration from musicians Frank Sinatra, Lorde and Panic! At The Disco. But growing up in an ultra-orthodox Hasidic community in Coral Springs meant that those artists were off-limits.

“My upbringing was very closed off. We didn’t have any secular movies or music,” says Rabin, 24, who just released his sophomore album, “And everything you left was blue,” on Nov. 13, his 24th birthday.

It wasn’t until age 11, when his sister allowed him to sneakily listen to Taylor Swift through an earphone in the backseat of a car that Rabin realized there was more out there than religious music.

“I was blown away,” he says.

Rabin’s first EP, “Vincent,” came out in 2024 and, today, he creates music full of catchy melodies, pop themes and deep lyrics.

Though his songs don’t discuss religion, he says Judaism is a strong influence behind all of his work.

“My goal is to create music that resonates with as many people as possible,” he said. “But on a micro scale, I definitely have a soft spot towards my community and Jews in general.”

In South Florida, Rabin attended Lubavitch Hebrew Academy in Margate. But at 15 years old, he moved away to attend a Jewish boarding school in Pennsylvania. There, he realized Judaism was more than what he had learned as a child, and he was encouraged to find his passion.

“It was the first time I’d ever heard about a relationship with God,” said Rabin. “It really reframed the way that I see religion.”

Instead of 13 hours a day doing Judaic studies, Rabin was given time to explore his own interests. He began writing songs and teaching himself to play piano.

Rabin’s upbringing put a strain on him and his family. He says his parents do not talk about his music. But his Jewish pride never faltered.

Now living in New York City, he still considers himself Chabad. Whether he is performing on stage — Rabin has played at the Gramercy Theatre in New York and the Music Hall of Williamsburg, and has toured in Australia — or creating music videos, you will never see him without his kippah.

“I’m showing up as a proud Jew. I think that being able to do that will empower other Jewish people to express what they’ve been through,” he says.

Rabin sings and produces all his music on his own, with the help of friends and former classmates from boarding school. His latest album was mastered by Grammy-winning Joe LePorta, who worked on Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers.” But even with the star factor, Rabin still does it all from his bedroom.

“We don’t have access to expensive equipment, we literally have our bedrooms,” he said. “We do our best with what we have and I’m really proud of what we do with it.”

His bedroom is also where he writes most of his lyrics, which read like a diary — each song is a different entry about what he has gone through, whether trauma from growing up or a relationship gone wrong. (In his most-streamed song, “Van Gogh,” Rabin writes: “If dying was an art form, could I be your van Gogh? Pretty please.”)

His new album does have some joy. “It used to be that my songs had no light at the end of the tunnel,” he says. “If it was dark, it was dark all the way through. And now when I’m writing, I’ve noticed that there is a tendency to have a little more light at the end.”

No matter what he writes, though, Rabin’s focus is to be open and honest. He hopes that sharing his story will help others feel less alone with whatever they are going through.

Rabin credits his Judaism for his strong desire to help others through his music. “Growing up Chabad gives you this framework that’s really focused on outreach and helping others,” he says.

And while he doesn’t see himself returning to the strict Hasidic views of his childhood, he still feels very Jewish, saying he plans to keep a religious home and wants to have a family that follows the Torah.

“I want to have kids who believe in God and the Torah,” he says. “But I’m just trying to figure out exactly what makes sense for me.”

What he does know is that one day, he hopes that his music — and his kippah — will make it to a larger stage.

“I think it would be amazing for Jewish kids to look up at someone wearing a kippah on a red carpet,” he says. “I want to be a symbol for a Jewish artist that expresses themselves proudly — and there’s no Grammy-winning, kippah-wearing artist.” Yet.

To listen to the new album, go to link.alnevmusic.com/aeylwb.

Who are you when you lose everything?

That is what director Jessica Stone has said is at the center of the stage musical version of “Water for Elephants.” Sounds like a major downer, doesn’t it?

Well, it isn’t.

The Broadway national tour, now playing the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale through Nov. 23, somehow manages to smile brightly and crack acerbic jokes, all the while enveloping its sorrow in a close hug.

Based on a 2006 book by Sara Gruen that became a 2011 movie (starring Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson, Christoph Waltz and Hal Holbrook), the show bowed on the Great White Way last year and was nominated for seven Tony Awards.

Set in the Depression era, the story is told in flashback. Jacob Jankowski (played by Zachary Keller as a young man and Robert Tully as the elder version) is running away from the grief of losing his parents in a car accident. Penniless and without hope of finishing his veterinarian studies, he hops on a train only to find out it is carrying a down-on-its-luck traveling circus.

That is where “Water for Elephants” sticks its landing.

The production is visually triumphant, choreography brightened by airborne acrobatics, balancing acts and terpsichorean tricks. The score, though admittedly not particularly memorable, does have a some toe-tappers, with music flowing something akin to a concept album. Imagine Cirque du Soleil … set to folk music.

And the transitions are filmic, seamless, keeping the show moving for two hours plus a 20-minute intermission.

That is needed as the narrative follows Jankowski’s run-ins with the volatile circus owner/ringmaster August (Connor Sullivan) and — giving the story another layer of impending “ohhh-nooooo” — his blossoming romance with August’s wife and circus star performer, Marlena (Helen Krushinski).

So where does that title come from? Yes, there is an elephant, beautifully and ingeniously realized through puppetry and … um … muppetry, as is the case with all the circus animals. Being able to carry enough water for an elephant to drink is a hopeless task, a metaphor for the overwhelming pressures that all the characters face during the height of the Depression Era, an inescapably defeatist time.

Again, sounds like a major downer, doesn’t it?

This cast (non-Equity though you’d never ever know it) walks that tightrope, performing with bravura, singing with crystalline precision and thunderous boom — somehow making it all less overwhelmingly sad through their collective charisma, the desperation and cruelty dialed down just enough to keep the edge, the cut.

What’s left is a powerful musical that touches your heart, tickles your ribs, caresses your face, dazzles your eyes and then … ever so gently and gracefully … sets you back down into your world.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: “Water for Elephants”

WHEN: Through Sunday, Nov. 23

WHERE: Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale

COST: $48.68-$172.58

INFORMATION: 954-462-0222 (press 1); browardcenter.org

‘Wild Instinct’ by T. Jefferson Parker; Minotaur; 336 pages; $29

Edgar Award winner T. Jefferson Parker’s hard-hitting novels combine smart police procedurals with characters who are battling criminals as much as their own demons. While that combination is a well-known trope in mysteries, Parker makes each novel fresh and energetic. And California is a well-known terrain for mysteries, but Parker generally explores the state’s Orange County and its environs, sometimes dipping down to Mexico.

The sharply plotted “Wild Instinct” launches a new series about former Marine Lew Gale, who is now an Orange County sheriff’s detective. His skills as an expert sniper in Afghanistan and his background as a hunter often are called on. Lew doesn’t want his latest assignment — hunting down a mountain lion that may have killed prominent real-estate developer Bennet Tarlow, whose body was found on land his family had donated for a vast wilderness park.

Lew uses his instincts about the wild to let the lion escape, believing it’s too old to have killed. He’s right. Bennet was shot. Lew and his new partner, Daniela Mendez, now have a different investigation.

Bennet “was a social creature,” frequently photographed in glossy magazines; a bachelor who dated a lot; a man who seemingly had many friends. But “a guy with that much money and power” has to have enemies, reflects Daniela.

Lew has a history with the Tarlow family. He had worked part time for them years prior and had a favorable impression of them. Bennet “was a nice guy,” Lew remembers.

The investigation leads back to the Tarlows’ recent land plans. Lew’s views about the family are tainted when it’s learned a huge development is being planned on land connected to the Indigenous Acjachemen tribe, from which Lew is descended.

Ancestral land being co-opted by developers has become a common theme, but Parker handles it with aplomb, bringing a sophisticated approach to “Wild Instinct” that readers have come to expect from him. Lew and Daniela emerge immediately as three-dimensional characters. And the Southern California atmosphere seeps through each aspect of the book, from the outdoors to neighborhoods and inside homes.

Parker has another solid series with “Wild Instinct.”

LOTS OF SCOTTISH LORE

‘Murder at the Scottish Games’ by Traci Hall; Kensington; 304 pages; $17.95

Sports can bring out the best — and just as often — the worst in people. The stakes are tripled, and the score even more important, when the sport is wrapped up in tradition, history and family reputation, as is the case in Traci Hall’s lively “Murder at the Scottish Games.”

Hall keeps her light plot churning with bits of humor, a town filled with suspects and lots of Scottish lore.

The Highland Games have come to Nairn, Scotland, and that’s good news for local businesses, especially for Paislee Shaw, who owns a sweater and yarn shop. It’s almost as if Paislee is printing money the way tourists are shopping in her Cashmere Crush store. For extra help, Paislee hires Rhona Smythe, whose salary will go to her parents to pay off her many speeding tickets.

Everyone in Nairn seems to have Highland Games fever. The new dog-herding event is expected to be a big hit. Rhona is in the Highland Dance and her boyfriend, Artie Whittle, is participating in several events, including the caber toss, in which he will throw a tapered log measuring about 16 feet long. Nothing could go wrong there — until someone tampers with the log. A fatality and rumors of steroid use put a damper on the event.

A strength of “Murder at the Scottish Games” is how Hall makes Paislee’s involvement as an amateur sleuth organic to the plot. Paislee’s instincts and eye for detail go further than matching yarn colors. Her home life, including her grumpy grandfather and brooding 13-year-old son Brody, and her interest in D.I. Mack Zeffer add to the believable story.

Hall’s view of Scotland, punctuated by occasional bits of dialect, will make readers want to book a trip there.

Meet the author

Traci Hall will discuss “Murder at the Scottish Games” with author Patrick Kendrick at 2 p.m. Nov. 22 in the Rubel Mystery Collection at the Pompano Beach Branch Library, 50 W. Atlantic Blvd., Pompano Beach. The event is free, and books will be available for sale, with 10% of sales donated to the library. Call 954-357-7643.

The following day, Hall is scheduled for a meet-and-greet at Barnes & Noble, 2051 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, starting at 2 p.m. Call 954-561-3732.

For more information, visit TraciHall.com.

The year may be winding down, but our calendars are filling up.

With Hanukkah less than a month away (it starts at sundown Dec. 14), local holiday boutiques are a must for unique gifts. And if you aren’t ready to embrace the holiday spirit yet, the Jewish community is also hosting a variety of different events to get us through the end of the year.

From literary-focused gatherings to a fashion show for a cause and a totally kosher food festival, these last few weeks of 2025 are about to be quite busy.

Shop ’til you drop

The Holiday Boutique at Temple Dor Dorim in Weston will feature over 40 local vendors selling unique art and clothes. A raffle will also take place, with the grand prize winner receiving a 2-hour luxury charter yacht. Other raffle prizes include a personalized yoga session, private wine class for 20 people at Total Wine and a teeth whitening treatment from Kotch Dental in Pembroke Pines. The annual event encourages the community to learn more about the temple and support their Early Childhood Center. Food and drinks will also be available.

WHEN: 12:30-6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19

WHERE: Temple Dor Dorim, 2360 Glades Circle, Weston

COST: Free

INFORMATION: dordorim.org

Hear from influential Jewish voices

This year’s Miami Book Fair is featuring a Jewish Life & Culture program, with the popular Street Fair hosting appearances by notable Jews in the literary world. Listen to cartoonist Art Spiegelman during a discussion on “Maus,” his seminal work on the Holocaust; Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, who will present her memoir “Heart of a Stranger”; and novelist Gary Shteyngart, who will participate in a panel discussion.

WHEN: Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 22-23

WHERE: Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Campus, 300 NE Second Ave., Miami

COST: Single-day tickets are $12 for adults, $7 for seniors (over 62) and $5 for guests age 13-18.

INFORMATION: miamibookfair.com

See a show, for a cause

JARC Florida is hosting its eighth annual A Fashion Show With Heart, featuring 17 clients with intellectual or developmental disabilities walking the runway and showing off clothes from Shop Finally and Scales Gear. Before the show, guests can shop at the boutique fair, featuring nine local vendors showcasing jewelry and clothing. Proceeds benefit JARC Florida’s Dr. Allen & Annette Stone Adult Day Training Program, which teaches vocational skills such as cooking, packaging and horticulture to help clients gain employment.

WHEN: 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 4

WHERE: Boca West Country Club, 20583 Boca West Drive, Boca Raton

COST: $125 (includes lunch and boutique fair)

INFORMATION: jarcfl.org/fashion

Have a literary afternoon

The Levis Jewish Community Center’s Sandler Center is hosting A Literary Afternoon Series, featuring personal appearances with authors through March. This year, check out Allegra Goodman (Dec. 9) and Sara Goodman Confino.

WHEN: Through March 2026

WHERE: Levis JCC Sandler Center, 21050 95th Ave. S., Boca Raton

COST: $25 for individual programs

INFORMATION: levisjcc.org

Enjoy food & wine, the Jewish way

Kosher Food & Wine Miami expects to draw more than 1,000 attendees to the Fontainebleau Miami Beach for local bites and over 400 wines, plus the chance to network with South Florida’s Jewish community. Proceeds will help support WIZO (Women’s International Zionist Organization), which provides funds for educational and social projects for women and children in Israel.

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10

WHERE: Fontainebleau Miami Beach, 4441 Collins Ave., Miami Beach

COST: $200 for general admission; $300 for VIP (early entry)

INFORMATION: kosherfoodandwinemiami.com

This is the time of year when Miami (the effects reach us all) is overwhelmed by another horde of pop-culture “stars” (psst: we haven’t heard of most of them either), with their big-city ways (that may be how they do it in London, but …), incomprehensible language (can they just use plain English?), exotic stimulants (what’s even in oolong?) and provocative fashion (the ambivalence is shocking).

Of course, we’re used to handling eight-day gaggles of globally gaga-ed DJs, F1 drivers, bold-faced chefs and supermodels. But authors? I mean, what kind of celebrity would rather be heard and not seen? It’s diabolical.

The Miami Book Fair kicks off on Sunday at Miami Dade College’s downtown Wolfson Campus for a run through Nov. 23, culminating in the signature three-day street fair beginning Nov. 21. Perhaps even more so this year, the depth and diversity of writers and voices coming in to take part are a distinctive achievement for the organizers and should be a point of pride for South Florida residents.

Among the highlights this weekend is an appearance by songwriter Kenny Chesney, the country-music star of stadium-filling renown, who will talk about his memoir “Heart Life Music” with co-author Holly Gleason at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, a gathering long sold out.

Also at the top of my list for MBF 2025: photographer and culture warrior Sally Mann (7 p.m. Nov. 19); newly appointed U.S. Poet Laureate Arthur Sze (8 p.m. Nov. 20); and, for grins, local pals Dave Barry and Carl Hiaasen (4 p.m. Nov. 22).

Note that many author appearances can be accessed with a free ticket, others with tickets for purchase. For more information, visit MiamiBookFair.com.

THURSDAY

Pictures of Auschwitz: Miami New Drama at the Colony Theatre in Miami Beach and the Tectonic Theater Project on Thursday begin performances of 2024 Pulitzer Prize finalist “Here There Are Blueberries.” The play tells the true story of a mysterious photo album sent to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2007, filled with images of Nazi officers and staff during moments of leisure at Auschwitz — a chilling example of Hannah Arendt’s “banality of evil.” Co-written by Moisés Kaufman (son of a Holocaust survivor) and Amanda Gronich, this “disturbingly resonant” (Los Angeles Times) play follows the detective work that went into verifying the pictures, along the way asking audiences to bear witness to the conspiracy of lies that corrupted everyday citizens. Showtimes this weekend will be 7 p.m. Thursday, 7:30 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Performances continue through Dec. 7. Tickets start at $35+ at MiamiNewDrama.org.

Kim possible: This is opening weekend at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach for the Broadway tour of Tony Award-winning musical “Kimberly Akimbo,” about a plucky teen’s against-the-odds pursuit of happiness in suburban New Jersey (with a cast that includes Jupiter-raised Skye Alyssa Friedman). Weekend performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets start at $46 at Kravis.org.

Trunk show: Another young dreamer in search of more meaning in life finds it after jumping a train and finding himself in a traveling circus in the visually spectacular Broadway musical, “Water for Elephants,” on a tour that arrived this week at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale. Weekend performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets start at $48.68. Performances continue through Nov. 23. Visit BrowardCenter.org.

Weekend laughs: Comedian and actor Tim Dillon (yet another example of where a Nassau Community College education can take you) said this: “Cruises are for garbage people. … They are for monsters. … Everything about a cruise can happen in a Denny’s. Why are there passports?” And so he is on his way to the Fort Lauderdale Improv for shows at 7 and 9:30 p.m. Thursday, 7:30 (sold out) and 10 p.m. Friday, and 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday (both sold out). Tickets cost $46.90+. Visit ImprovFTL.com. … Rocker  and comedian Shayne Smith, once described as “the nicest, most tattooed guy you’ll ever meet,” brings his national I’m Your Huckleberry tour to the intimate Amaturo Theater at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $29.50.  Visit BrowardCenter.org.

Silver screen golden era: The Historical Society of Palm Beach County will unveil its new exhibit, “Sunshine Cinema: Florida in Film,” with a red-carpet reception from 6-8 p.m. Thursday in West Palm Beach. The show takes a retrospective look at movie-making history in Florida with a display of iconic props, movie costumes and other artifacts, including a 1910s Thomas Edison kinetoscope, Tony Montana’s tropical shirt in “Scarface” and the flight suit Tom Hanks wore in “Apollo 13.” The exhibit will be up at the Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum from Friday through May 30, with $12 tickets and free entry for guests age 18 and younger. Opening reception tickets start at $125 (including beer, wine, light bites). Visit PBCHistory.org.

FRIDAY

Laugh riot: The WWE-style comedy tour Hasan Hates Ronny/Ronny Hates Hasan, starring Hasan Minhaj and Ronny Chieng (probably no chairs being thrown), hits the Arsht Center in Miami for performances on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. Tickets for Friday’s show are all but gone (single digits), while a few more are available on Saturday, starting at $50.01. Visit ArshtCenter.org.

Future laughs: Is Matt Rife the most popular touring comedian working today? Discuss. Rife just announced he’s bringing his Stay Golden World Tour to Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on June 26, with tickets (starting at $79) going on sale at noon Friday. Visit MyHRL.com.

Peru + Venezuela: Peruvian restaurant Jarana in Aventura on Friday will host a one-night-only Chef Collab Series dinner featuring Venezuelan celebrity chef Lorena García (Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters,” Food Network’s “Tournament of Champions”) and Jarana’s chef Martha Palacios. The four-course dinner will include a Tuna Tartare appetizer, Tamales Criollos, Mole Churrasco Steak and Coconut Tres Leches dessert. Cost: $70 per person. For reservations, visit JaranaRestaurant.com.

Friday night live: Performing in South Florida for the first time since the death of Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys will bring The Sounds of Summer Tour to Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $69.55 at MyHRL.com. … Alt-rock veterans All Time Low will share music from new album “Everyone’s Talking” at the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale at 6:30 p.m. Friday. Openers are Mayday Parade, Four Year Strong and The Paradox. Tickets start at $62 at Seatgeek.com. … Guitar phenom Brandon “Taz” Niederauer (as seen at Coachella and with Jon Batiste) will bring his tour to Crazy Uncle Mike’s in Boca Raton on Friday at 8:30 p.m. Tickets start at $36.22. Visit CrazyUncleMikes.com.

You scream: Lily’s Handmade Ice Cream, the family owned scoopery with locations in Delray Beach and North Miami that was voted best ice cream in South Florida by South Florida Sun Sentinel readers last year, will open a new Boynton Beach shop at 3837 W. Woolbright Road on Friday at noon. Visit Facebook.com/icecreamlilys.

Heart to art: The Art Prevails Project presents “The Happening: A Theatrical Mixtape Volume VII” in the Abdo New River Room at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale at 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Expressed via drama, music and poetry, this chapter is subtitled “Love & Hate,” promising to “make you smile, move and reflect on everything in between.” Each performance will be followed by a post-show discussion with the artists. Tickets cost $35.40. The production is part of the Broward Center’s Amplify Arts initiative designed to elevate local artists and emerging arts organizations. Visit BrowardCenter.org or ArtPrevailsProject.org.

Buckle up: Davie’s cowboy culture comes together in a big way this weekend as Weekley Brothers Davie Pro Rodeo will host the Southeastern Circuit Finals Rodeo at Bergeron Rodeo Grounds. The ropin’ and ridin’ thrills begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets cost $35, or $15 for guests age 3-12. Visit DavieProRodeo.com.

Kravis thriller: The hit Michael Jackson musical “MJ” is on its way to the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach on Feb. 10-15, with tickets on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at Kravis.org and at noon Friday at the box office and by calling 561-832-7469.

Friday tributes: Nationally touring, Florida-based Pink Floyd tribute band Floyd Nation will bring their Wish We Were There Tour to The Parker in Fort Lauderdale on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $34.22. Visit ParkerPlayhouse.com. … Popular homage Rock of ABBA returns to Galuppi’s in Pompano Beach on Friday at 7:30 p.m. General-admission standing room costs $10, with table seating available by reservation. Visit Galuppis.com. … Chicago/Earth, Wind & Fire tribute Hot Brass will play the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center at 8 p.m. Friday. Tickets start at $52.54. Visit AventuraCenter.org.

SATURDAY

When war stopped: Just a few days after Veterans Day, Florida Grand Opera’s “Silent Night” is an evocative operatic retelling of the 1914 Christmas Truce — when soldiers on either side of the World War I battlefield paused to sing, pray and play soccer together on an extraordinary Christmas Eve. Performed in three languages (with English and Spanish translations projected), “Silent Night” marks the return of FGO’s orchestra, providing accompaniment for the first time in 18 years. The Pulitzer Prize-winning opera also coincides with the official launch of FGO’s Voices of Wellness program, which supports the well-being of veterans, first responders and nurses. Performances of “Silent Night” will take place at Miami’s Arsht Center at 7 p.m. Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday and 8 p.m. Tuesday. The opera will next be seen at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 4 and Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $22-$25. Visit FGO.org.

Walk this way: Saturday brings the return of the quarterly Oakland Park Art Walk, which should offer a fine, family friendly stroll on what we’re expecting to be a beautiful evening. But it also may be a reminder of what an underrated destination this eight-block stretch of Northeast 12th Avenue and Dixie Highway is for drinks (Rebel Wine Bar, ChainBridge Distillery, Funky Buddha Brewery, Tripping Animals Brewing, to name a few spots) and dining (Red Sea Eritrean and Ethiopian Cuisine, Nour Thai Kitchen, Moon Pizza Pie, Black Flamingo Brews & Kitchen, The Butcher’s Barrel, BMC Smash Burgers and FMS Creamery). They’re all an easy walk from each other — and parking is free. Visit OaklandParkFL.gov/OPAW.

Going coastal: The Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach will open the exhibition “Anastasia Samoylova: Atlantic Coast,” a meditative exploration of the American mood in pictures taken from Key West to Maine by the Russian-born American photographer, inspired by Berenice Abbott’s famed 1954 journey along U.S. 1. The exhibit will be up through March. Museum admission is $18 for adults, $15 for seniors, $5 for students and free for guests age 12 and younger. Visit Norton.org.

Saturday night live: Puerto Rican icon Olga Tañón comes to Hard Rock Live in Hollywood at 8 p.m. Saturday on her “Hay Ke Ser Feliz” tour. Scattered tickets remain, starting at $185.55. Visit MyHRL.com. …  Alt-metal quartet Seether and rockers Daughtry bring their tour to the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Tickets start at $78 at Seatgeek.com. … Indie-pop stylist I Don’t Know How But They Found Me alights at the Culture Room in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, with doors opening at 7:30 p.m. General-admission tickets cost $39.80. Visit CultureRoom.net.

More laughs: Filipino-American comedian Jo Koy, one of the highest-grossing comedians on tour in recent years (says Pollstar), will bring his Just Being Koy Tour to the Kaseya Center in Miami on Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $64.25 at Ticketmaster.com. … Writer and comedian Gabriel Rutledge comes to the Broward Center’s Amaturo Theater on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $23.60. Visit BrowardCenter.org.

Saturday tributes: Mathews Brewing Co. in Lake Worth Beach will host a free concert by Ramones tribute band the Morones on Saturday, with openers Maximum Friction going on at 7:30 p.m. Visit Facebook.com/mathewsbrewing. … The Funky Biscuit in Boca Raton will have Elton Dan and The Rocket Band on Saturday at 7 p.m. General-admission standing room tickets cost $50.09 at FunkyBiscuit.com.

SUNDAY

Sunday laughs: South Florida comedian Brittany Brave and other favorite joke tellers will gather on Sunday at 7 p.m. at the Miami Improv for the Best of Miami comedy showcase, with proceeds going to “Muchacha,” her documentary project about the local comedy scene. Other performers will include Ricky Cruz, Gene Harding, Cisco Duran, Carlos Hernandez, Eli Rodriguez, Julie Baez and others. The evening also will offer a sneak peek at “Muchacha.” Tickets cost $31.90+; reserved VIP seats are $51.90+. Visit MiamiImprov.com.

Pure energy: The Kaytranada x Justice Tour — pairing Haitian-born, Montreal-based DJ and producer Kaytranada with French electronica duo Justice — may blow the top off Miami’s Kaseya Center on Sunday. Tickets for the 7 p.m. concert, with special guest Sam Gellaitry, start at $46.30 at Ticketmaster.com.

Carti time: Rapper Playboy Carti brings his long-awaited Antagonist Tour, featuring music from No. 1 album “MUSIC,” to Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise at 7 p.m. Sunday. The cheapest seats are running in the $50s at Seatgeek.com.

Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at bcrandell@sunsentinel.com. Follow on IG: @BenCrandell. 

For the sixth year, Men Who Dance, the all-male dance festival spotlighting 52 performers from 20 countries, returns to Fort Lauderdale’s Broward Center for the Performing Arts.

But it’s the first time a dance troupe from Broward County — the C.A.M. Dance Co. in Davie — will be part of the event presented by the Inter-American Choreographic Institute.

“The essence and purpose of Men Who Dance is not to promote any agenda or reach conclusions,” said Rafi Maldonado-Lopez, institute founder and the festival’s artistic director. “It’s about engaging in the process of deconstructing stereotypes, re-evaluating what masculinity means on and off the stage, and daring artists to explore it.”

Also for the first time, the festival will feature an American Indian dance troupe, Indigenous Enterprise, in honor of November being National Native American Heritage Month.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Men Who Dance, produced by Inter-American Choreographic Institute

WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 30

WHERE: Broward Center for the Performing Arts, Amaturo Theater, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale

COST: $25-$45

INFORMATION: 954-462-0222; BrowardCenter.org

COST: $29.50-$53.10

The hot gossip from Santa’s Workshop flies fast and heavy at Rosalia Kitchen’s in Miramar.

“Candy Cane Clara only glued two gumdrops on her gingerbread house. She’s such a slacker,” squeaks one elf over a loudspeaker in the restaurant’s restroom.

“And did you see Mrs. Claus lost 3 pounds?” a second elf chimes in over the clatter of toymaking sounds. “I heard she got a Peloton.”

Eavesdropping on tea-spilling elves is part of the immersive vibes at Rosalia’s Holiday Extravaganza, a Christmastime makeover of the Mediterranean-Italian restaurant. Less a pop-up than a total tacky transformation, the dining room features hundreds of shiny ornaments, gift-wrap wallpaper and a trellis draped in faux snow, and serves up dishes like Xmas Tree Spaghetti and 3D-printed cocktails like D’Grinch, with a felt-green hand pinching a cherry stem over a sour apple martini.

Total cost this year: $10,000, estimates co-owner Rafael Brazon-Di Fatta, which includes a promotional blitz of slick influencer videos.

It’s worth the investment: Holiday-obsessed diners can’t get enough of the playful decor, stiff drinks and Christmas-coded meals, so decking out Rosalia’s — this is their third year — translates to big business, he argues, adding that reservations are already nearing capacity through Dec. 25.

“We’re a Christmas restaurant right now,” says Brazon-Di Fatta, who unveiled the transformation to customers last week. “It sets us apart, and you have to have fun and stay competitive in this crazy market.”

Years after the OGs of holiday pop-ups, Miracle and Sippin’ Santa, first brought Christmapolitans and Sugar Plum Mai Tais to South Florida, this maturing scene is booming in the tricounty area — with owners counting on traffic, food and drink sales surging after their whimsical makeovers.

During the six weeks between mid-November and Christmas Day, when co-owner Jason Lakow converts his Juicy Cocktail Bar in West Palm Beach into the tiki-themed pop-up Sippin’ Santa, he says drink sales and patronage jump 400% compared with that of spring and summer. This makes the Christmas-ification of Juicy a near-necessity during the holidays, he argues.

“This is our Super Bowl,” Lakow says. “Thanksgiving to Christmas is a six-week stretch of insanity. It does huge business for us. People have a longing to feel cozy and comforted about the holidays, to go somewhere celebratory for a special occasion, and that’s our bar.”

Below, find several decked-out tinsel taverns filled with ugly sweaters, festive cocktails and even one spirited shrine to the patron saint of Christmas music, Mariah Carey.

Rosalia’s Holiday Extravaganza

12130 Miramar Parkway, Miramar; 954-302-8878; RosaliasKitchen.com

As part of an annual yuletide makeover of the family owned Rosalia’s Kitchen, the Mediterranean-Italian fusion eatery offers a Christmas-themed menu that states: “Don’t be a basic elf. Pull up a fork.” Culinary offerings include the White Christmas Pinsa, a Roman-style flatbread pizza with a four-cheese sauce and “cheery” tomatoes and herbs; Nonna Lia’s Roast, medallions of beef chuck slow-cooked in red wine; and A Velvety Christmas Chocolate-Hazelnut Mousse Cake on a cookie crust. Libations — there are four — include Mrs. Claus’ Sugar Cookietini with white chocolate, Irish cream, vodka and nonpareils coating the rim; and Jingle Juice, a cranberry-flavored sangria. The Extravaganza runs through Jan. 11.

Miracle

Nov. 21-Dec. 28 at Carousel Club at Gulfstream Park, 901 S. Federal Highway, Hallandale Beach; 954-228-3378; carouselclub.com

Nov. 28-Dec. 28 at Ravish Kitchen & Cocktails, 210 E. Ocean Ave., Lantana; 561-588-2444; RavishKitchen.com

Nov. 28-Dec. 28 at Casa Tiki, 1728 SW Eighth St., Miami; 305-200-5039; Facebook.com/casatikimiami

A big sister to Sippin’ Santa, Miracle is the pioneer of holiday pop-up bars — and every bit the cheesy winter wonderland, with inflatable Christmas trees, hanging Grinchy candy-cane socks, and beads of string lights and floppy red hats draped over every rafter. The yuletide drinkery touts 12 festive tipples including the Christmapolitan (vodka, elderflower, dry vermouth, spiced cranberry sauce, absinthe mist), the Snowball Old-Fashioned (rye whiskey, gingerbread syrup, bitters), and new entries Candy Cane Lane, Dancing Sugarplums, Blitzen Barrel, and Miracle Mouse.

Sippin’ Santa

Nov. 21-Dec. 31 at Sra. Martinez, 2325 Galiano St., Coral Gables; and Juicy Cocktail Bar, 202 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach; SippinSantaPopUp.com

Picture Frosty and Santa in tropical shirts taking siestas on the beach with Mai Tais, and that comes close to describing the vibe of this Polynesian-themed Miracle spinoff, which features a rummy cocktail menu programmed by tiki expert Jeff “Beachbum” Berry. Classics include the Sippin’ Santa (aged Demerara rum, amaro, nutmeg and cinnamon syrup) and Sugar Plum Mai Tai (Haitian and Nicaraguan rums, lime, orgeat, plum mix), or try newcomers Coco Ho Ho, Frost Bite and Wreck the Halls. You’ll find the same drink menu at the Sippin’ Santa pop-up at Sra. Martinez in Coral Gables.

Juicy Cocktail Bar co-owner Jason Lakow says traffic during Sippin’ Santa is so strong that, starting this year, he’ll convert a portion of his Tropical BBQ Market next door for overflow seating. He also will add a Polynesian bar bites menu that includes papaya fruit bowls (grown in Lakow’s backyard), Kahlua pork butt lettuce wraps, cucumber and kiwi salad, and brisket flatbreads with Huli Huli sauce. Finally, Juicy plans to offer an off-menu, s’mores-flavored Old Fashioned Hickory Egg Nog (reposado tequila, oloroso sherry, agave, hickory charcoal), while supplies last.

Mariah Carey’s Holiday Wonderland Bar

Nov. 21-Dec. 28 at Ray’s Hometown Bar Miami (inside Freehand Miami hotel), 2727 Indian Creek Drive, Miami Beach; BucketListers.com

In case you haven’t heard, singer Mariah Carey — who each year campaigns a little harder for the “Queen of Christmas” crown — is defrosting again. And now her themed bar, on a national pop-up tour to capitalize on Carey’s resurgent internet fame, will visit South Florida as a tinsel-dressed homage to the musician. There’s Mariah-inspired holiday decor, interactive photo opportunities, an award wall, a “Letters to Mariah Carey” station and, of course, the iconic “All I Want for Christmas Is You” song playing every 30 minutes. Cocktails are made with Carey’s own Black Irish cream brand.

Rooftop@1WLO Holiday Pop-up

Nov. 24-Dec. 30 at Rooftop@1WLO, 1 W. Las Olas Blvd., Suite 700; 954-523-1956; Instagram.com/rooftop1wlo

An 18-foot centerpiece Christmas tree, hanging mistletoe, oversized bows and ribbons of gold will distinguish this “classy, not tacky” pop-up bar on the seventh floor of the 1 West Las Olas tower, says Tim Petrillo, cofounder of The Restaurant People hospitality group (YOLO, S3, Java & Jam).

“It’s a festive Christmas garden in the sky,” he says. “Because everyone else is doing tacky Christmas, we’re going the other direction.”

The seven-cocktail menu ranges from Christmas Tree Martini (vanilla-infused vodka, apple cider, cranberry, lemon, winter spice) to Snowman Season (chai-infused mezcal, guava, orgeat) to Ornament Spritz (dry gin, prosecco, pomegranate, rosemary, citrus). The venue will also function as a Fort Lauderdale SantaCon Bar Crawl stop on Dec. 20.

Winter Wonderland Pop-Up

Dec. 4-31 at Chops + Hops Axe Throwing Lodge (inside Sistrunk Marketplace), 115 NW Sixth St., Fort Lauderdale; 954-329-2551; ChopsandHopsFL.com

In South Florida, our bodies aren’t accustomed to cold — they’re built for Margaritaville. Still, we like the compromise at this holiday bar, which combines stiff wintry beverages and the leisurely activity of hurling sharp weapons at wooden targets. The pop-up inside the Sistrunk Marketplace food hall will offer a handful of cocktails including Apple Sauced (apple-cinnamon martini), Santa’s Sidepiece (maple-pecan Old Fashioned) and Bacon Washed Manhattan (double-oaked bourbon, vermouth, vanilla bean). The venue will also function as a Fort Lauderdale SantaCon Bar Crawl stop on Dec. 20.

The Reindeer Room

Nov. 19-Jan. 3 at Unit B Eatery + Spirits, 610 SW 145th Terrace, Pembroke Pines; 954-367-6896, UnitBEateryandSpirits.com

The second edition of the cocktail haunt inside this gastropub will dash all the way into January for six weeks of themed Christmas cheer, featuring red leather banquettes decked out in distracting amounts of tinsel, peppermint sticks and glittery ornaments and giant presents suspended from the ceiling.

“This year we’re taking it even further: more decor and even more magic,” says Matt Faul, chief operating officer of Unit B’s hospitality group Wolverine Management.

Add to that reindeer-themed libations, including Prancer’s Paradise (rose gin, pear cordial, pomegranate liqueur, cranberry, cinnamon), Blitzen’s Bananas (Irish whiskey, banane du Bresil, cinnamon, walnut bitters) and Polar Peppermint Lattini (vodka, espresso, peppermint liqueur, white chocolate).

Holly Jolly Christmas Bar

Nov. 13-Dec. 28 at Puttery, 239 NW 28th St., Miami; 786-733-0770; HollyJollyBar.com

The perfect accompaniment to putt-putt is this pop-up bedecked in presents, over-the-top ornaments and “floor-to-ceiling tinsel,” if you believe the bar’s online description. Each ticket ($22 for 90-minute timed open seating) comes with a “welcome drink” of spiked hot chocolate, with more festival cocktails (pomegranate margarita, winter sangria and icicle tea) and holiday-themed bites (cinnamon-sugar pretzel with peppermint mocha mousse) also available to buy on site.